If you love a bit of bhangra or can’t live without a few filmi soundtracks to get you through the day, then you’ll want to read on to discover some of the best Asian radio stations in the UK.
Tune in locally or get your DAB radio set up and start enjoying great music, the latest news and more!
Asian Sound Radio
Founded in 1995, Asian Sound Radio is one of the UK’s largest Asian commercial radio networks, broadcasting across Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire as well as online for everyone!
Join over half a million existing listeners and tune in 24 hours a day, Monday to Sunday to get your full week’s worth of news, Asian music and even spiritual enlightenment overnight with ‘Spiritual Journey’ from 1 am to 7 am.
Music genres include bhangra, Bollywood, puraaney gaane and Pakistani to name just a few.
If you want to hear the freshest sounds, talk about filmi and fashion and just generally have a good laugh, tune into Fazeela’s weekend show Saturdays at 4 pm and Sundays at 10 am.
For religious talks and recitations, listen to long-standing presenter Nuzhat Khan from 10 am on Mondays or at 1 pm on Fridays.
Other DJs and presenters include the witty Afag Khan and the romantic Habib Ur Rehman.
How to Listen:
- 1377 AM – Manchester & 963 AM – Lancashire
- DAB – Available in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire
- Online
Website: http://www.asiansoundradio.co.uk/home.aspx
Awaz FM
If you’re living in Scotland, you might have already heard of Awaz FM.
This radio station has been catering to the Asian and African population in Glasgow since 1996, with shows being broadcast in many languages – English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Paharhi and Swahili.
Since this is a locally Scottish station, you can discover local news and community events as well as getting a daily dose of national and world news.
With a full 24-hour schedule, Monday to Sunday, there are plenty of opportunities to tune into this radio station and listen to DJs and presenters like Ambreen who brings you the mid-morning show on a Tuesday, Lehar who presents Cafe Bollywood every Sunday and Javaid who joins you for breakfast every weekday.
How to Listen:
- 2 FM – Glasgow
- Online
- App
Website: http://www.awazfm.co.uk/
BBC Asian Network
Possibly one of the most well-known Asian stations in the UK is BBC Asian Network, with a countrywide reach via DAB and online, it’s super easy to tune into this station.
Launched in October of 1988 on MW transmitters, BBC Asian Network was broadcast just 70 hours a week, with the full-time station being introduced in 1996.
It was only in 2002 that the DAB channel was launched, meaning listeners could tune in nationwide, as opposed to their previous Leicester boundaries while on MW.
BBC Asian Network is aimed at those between 15-35 years of age and of South Asian descent, playing popular and urban music styles as well as talk segments and documentary-type broadcasts.
Some of the presenters and DJs include Nadia Ali, Bobby Friction, Sunny and Shay, Nihal and Preeya Kalidas, who take you from breakfast, right through to the depths of the night.
How to Listen:
- 837 MW – East Midlands, 1458/828 MW – West Midlands, 1116 MW (7pm-1am) – Derbyshire, 1449 MW – Peterborough/North Cambridgeshire
- DAB – 12B
- Freeview – 709
- Freesat – 709
- Sky – 0119
- Virgin Media – 912
- Online
- App
Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork
Fever FM
Fever FM started life as Radio Apni Awaaz in 1989, playing music and keeping their listeners up to date with local news, new job opportunities, births, deaths, weddings and helping to advertise local businesses.
They decided to change their name to Radio Asian Fever in 1999 and were awarded their full-time community radio license from OFCOM in 2005, meaning Fever FM could start their full-time live broadcasts in 2007.
They are now the biggest Asian platform in Leeds broadcasting in English, Urdu/Hindi, Punjabi and Mirpuri.
This heavily community-based radio station offers people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to help out at the studio, training and encouraging volunteers to learn technical know-how as well as presenting skills.
Regular presenters include Jabbar Karim, Aadi, Ikram Sab, DJ Unique and DJ Saiqa who’s schedules all vary from Bollywood music favourites to Pakistani hits, with news and chatter in between.
How to Listen:
- 3 FM – Leeds
- Online
- App
Website: https://www.radioasianfever.com/
Lyca Radio
Lyca Radio is one of four radio stations owned by Lycamedia (the broadcasting division of Lycamobile, a mobile network company) which specialises in South Asian music and is broadcast across London on 1458 AM.
The Lyca brand’s aim is to become the most popular UK South Asian radio broadcaster by playing a great mix of new and old music, with some lively topical chat and a few fab competitions thrown in for good measure.
Music genres featured on Lyca Radio include contemporary Bollywood, bhangra and urban Asian music.
Tune into the breakfast show with Vish Bhatnagar to hear showbiz news, new music releases, and travel updates, also you can wrap your brain around a daily riddle.
If you’re not a morning person, make sure you don’t miss the Bollywood-filled afternoon show with Sachi Thakur or the energetic evening show with Kajal.
How to Listen:
- 1458 AM
- DAB
- Online
Website: http://www.lycaradio.com/
Panjab Radio
This station started life on DTV in September of 2000, it now broadcasts across multiple transmissions including AM (across London), DAB and on Sky channel 0130.
Panjab Radio brings a huge range of topics, music, news and programmes to the Asian population of London and the entire UK, with 30 experienced radio presenters.
DJs and presenters include Deedar Kaur Bahra, whose ‘Gharelu Nuskhe’ show includes information on treatments for ailments and illnesses – Deedar shares her knowledge and invites listeners to call in to share their own treatments and cures.
If you’re tuning in for your drive home from work, then you’ll hear Aman talking Bollywood gossip and news in between playing the best bhangra tracks.
Sodar Rehras takes the evening slot, 6-8 pm, with evening prayer and hymns to get you settled down after a hard day at work.
How to Listen:
- 1584 AM
- DAB
- Sky – 0130
- Online
- App
Website: http://www.panjabradio.co.uk/
Sabras Radio
Sabras Radio broadcasts on AM frequency 1260 across the East Midlands and has been doing so since September 1995, making it one of the longest running commercial Asian radio stations in the UK.
Sabras actually means ‘all tastes’ and their music selection does not let that down – tune in to hear Bollywood, bhangra, gujarati and a multitude of Indian pop music styles.
Sabras Radio covers the entirity of the East Midlands and holds the largest Asian listener audience in this area.
The Sabras schedule includes some great shows and some even greater presenters – Rishi Modi joins you for breakfast, Amber takes you through the morning, Pam Sidhu hosts the afternoon and Raj Baddhan gets you home from work during his drivetime show.
These are just a few of the radio presenters involved in making Sabras Radio, there are 23 amazing people to keep you feeling uplifted and bring you the best music, important news and religious content throughout your day.
How to Listen:
- 1260 AM – East Midlands
- DAB – Leicester only
- Online
- App
Website: http://www.sabrasradio.com/
Spice FM
If you’re based in Tyneside, you might have already tuned into Spice FM, a hub for Asian and world music as well as news and entertainment.
Founded in 2002 with an aim to become “the only diverse radio station on the Tyneside airwaves”, Spice FM is home to many talented DJs and presenters who are all non-paid volunteers with a passion for broadcasting and music.
Training for those in the community who are interested in the world of radio is available in the Spice FM studios, so if you have a passion for broadcasting or music tech, email the team and pop by the studio to find out more.
Spice has a huge community of presenters and some amazing programmes, including Kulvinder Assi each Monday morning, Sandeep with weekday breakfast, Gerry every Thursday with West End Live and DJ Myrchi with Bollywood Blitz.
Tune in to get your fix of Asian music and find out more about news and events happening in the North East.
How to Listen:
- 8 FM – Tyneside
- Online
- App
Website: https://www.spicefm.co.uk/
Sunrise Radio
Broadcasting across London since 1984 (previously Sina Radio) and officially launching in 1989 by Dr. Avtar Lit – Sunrise Radio became one of the first media outlets to give the UK-residing Asian community a voice, helping to bring modern British Asian culture to the fore.
Sunrise Radio provides music, news, talk shows and programmes in multiple languages to help maintain a connection to British Asian’s roots.
Sunrise Radio has been instrumental in boosting the careers of multiple Asian music artists as well as bringing Asian-inspired music to the mainstream airwaves.
With so many years of experience in radio broadcasting, it’s no wonder Sunrise brings some amazing presenters and DJs to the table.
Ajay Nagar kickstarts your weekend with his “own brand of humour” and an array of the best tunes, Vallisa Chauhan gets you from work to home on weekdays (4-7 pm) with music and chatter and Niraj Dave plays you the hottest Bollywood and bhangra floorfillers every Friday and Saturday night.
There’s something for everyone, just check the Sunrise schedule to find out more.
How to Listen:
- 963/972 AM – London
- DAB – Nationwide
- Online
- App
Website: http://www.sunriseradio.com/